The Didache Source Analysis

Having very traditional beliefs, the Catholic Church uses numerous different terms and practices that are not familiar with non-Catholics. Inside of the Discourse community, Catholics have set terms that are used widely to discuss different matters. For instances, the term “priest” is used to describe what others would typically call a “pastor.” In addition to the terms used, there are also rituals that are based on their traditional beliefs. The most drastic of them would be the Eucharist. This tradition is referred to by Catholics as “Holy Communion” and is referred to by protestants as “The Lord’s Supper.” Meg Kane described the differences by saying, “Catholics actually believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ. It has much more meaning behind it than other communion services.” (Kane). Drastically differing from other religions, Catholics believe that their priest was granted the ability by God to turn the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Apart from the three principals, the Eucharist sacrament was also elucidated by Luther with reference to consubstantiation. Consubstantiation refers to the assurance that Christ is indeed present in the Eucharist celebration. The belief is also similar to the transubstantiation doctrine. However, in the transubstantiation doctrine, it is believed that wine and bread factually change to the blood and body of Jesus Christ during the

For him, this notion that the substance of bread is taken away and replaced with Christ's body while the accidents remain is not a justifiable conclusion to be drawn without significantly more evidence to suggest it. No Church Father believed in this idea. Rather, it came about as a result of the Medieval infatuation with Aristotle. Luther instead asserts the viewpoint that Christ's body is in the substance of the bread itself. This happens in the same way that fire can mix with iron and pervade it (146). Indeed, this doctrine of transubstantiation is not what the ordinary people think. They, being unable to understand the lofty scholastic disputes, continue to believe in the fact both that the eucharist is bread and that it is Christ's body. The primary error of the Roman Catholics is that they interpret the scriptures through Aristotle. We should be approaching the Eucharist as a mystery, and leave it at that. Indeed, there is no more contradiction in saying that Christ's presence is in the bread than there is in saying it is in us. It is a mystery and should be allowed to be such (147). Here Luther seems to be exactly correct. In the scriptures we see both that Christ says of the Eucharist that it is his body and that it is bread. The idea that the substance is not bread at all seems to make nonsense of this. Indeed, even on an Aristotelian account it makes little sense to say that the substance could change and yet the accidents merely remain as they were. It makes far more sense to take the scriptures at their face value and believe that the Eucharist can be both actual bread and actual

Before, I never noticed how the Eucharist is the primary sacrament of reconciliation. Also, I was amazed how the Masai people postpone their Eucharist until they settle their differences because they did not want to commit a sacrilege by calling it the body of Christ. This is why they took the time to prepare to properly celebrate the Eucharist. I found the three gifts of the Eucharist very interesting. Before, I was unaware of these gifts that the Eucharist had. However, I now know the true meaning of these gifts that Strengthen our love and faith for God. It also challenges our inner spirituality to become closer to

The Eucharist is for people in modern times to commemorate Jesus' life. The earliest written gospel of the "Eucharista" meaning 'thanksgiving' in Greek is located in the First Epistle to the Corinthians around 55 AD in which Paul wrote to the apostles " eating the bread and drinking the cup of the lord by all and celebrating what is named the supper of the lord". This historical

The Eucharist or communion has been celebrated for over 2000 years in the church; however, the frequency of the practice varies greatly across churches. For example, the non-denominational church that I grew up in, celebrated communion every Sunday with consistency and the focal point of each service. (It was so routine I could quote what was going to be said.) Now, I am part of a church that celebrates communion once per month as a conclusion to the sermon. Another major difference between the two churches is who is welcome to participate in communion. For instance, my first church greatly expressed that only those who profess Christ could partake and must not receive communion in an unworthy. Evidently, the church’s view of Atonement (Penal Substitution) influenced a memorial view of communion. Also, the leader’s interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:29 influenced this approach to communion. As our weekly reading pointed out, “Most who take the Memorial View do not have a place for grace in their theology beyond salvation” (Peterson 3). Therefore, during

Communion, or Eucharist, whereby Jesus is believed to award communion by way of himself *

Communion is the second sacraments of initiation. After receiving first communion the sacrament becomes open to do every time we go to church. St Paul’s, written between 40 and 64 AD, speak of the festivity of the Eucharist and its origins in Jesus’ words and action at the last supper. “Take now and eat for this is my body” “Take this and drink for this is my

His understanding of the Lord’s Supper pulled from both Luther’s understanding and Zwingli’s understanding. Calvin agreed with Luther that there was a ‘real’ presence in the Supper but at the same time Calvin also agreed with Zwingli that Christ’s body was seated at the right hand of God. Instead of there being the actual body in the bread or the bread only being a symbol of what Christ did in his life, death and resurrection, Calvin says that there is a spiritual presence. So Calvin agrees, too with Luther that a true mediation of grace occurs during the Supper. Calvin argues that the true definition of a sacrament is something which mediates grace. Calvin argues that the bread is not an empty symbol but is truly a sacrament because it does mediate grace to the participant. Calvin says this, “But just as God has placed all fullness of life in Jesus, in order to communicate it to us by his means, so he ordained his word as the instrument by which Jesus Christ, with all his graces, is dispensed to us. ” To Calvin the body is central to how Christians partake in the life death and resurrection of Christ. Calvin says there are 3 ways that make Christ present in the elements of the Supper: The Holy Spirit makes Christ present, when one partakes they are raised up to gaze upon Christ at the right hand of the Father and wherever the divine nature is there also is the human nature because of the hypostatic union. These things make the Supper a meal of spiritual food, nourishment for the spirit. Calvin says this as to why the Supper was instituted by God, “in order to sign and seal in our consciences the promises contained in his gospel concerning our being made partakers of his body and blood, and to give us certainty and assurance that therein lies our true spiritual

One of the main themes of the service was based around the divine liturgy, which is the considered the primary worship of the church. The Devine Liturgy is read by a combination of the priest, bishop, choir, and the church community. It is from the liturgy that the offerings of the bread and wine come from along with other prayers. It teaches that the bread and the wine “truly become the body and blood if Jesus Christ” (Sorensen). The priest, or the deacon is the ones that prepare the Eucharist, also known as the “ritual meal of bread and wine” (“Orthodox Churches" 233) as “the body and blood of Christ” (“Orthodox Churches" 233). They combine both the bread and the wine and bless these gifts to become one. They are then put into a chalice, and fed to the community through a golden spoon. While observing the taking of communion I noticed that a red cloth was held under the gold cup by acolytes, which are “altar boys who assist the adult officiants” (“Orthodox Churches" 231). The community puts their hands behind their back while taking communion so that they do not touch the gift or the priest. It is also during the time of communion that the community honors the “painted or mosaic” (“On Common Ground: World Religions in America” ) saints that are used as icons throughout the church. It was during the honoring of

The Last Supper (found in gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke) is the final meal that jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion. The Last supper was presented like a passover meal, traditional hymns were sung, and traditional prayers were spoken as Jesus passed around the matzot (passover bread). Among these Jewish traditions Jesus added the words while breaking the bread “This is my Body, which will be given up for you” and while passing around the wine Jesus said “This is my blood, which will be poured out for you”. From these words and actions, stems the creation of the Eucharist that we know today. In the view of the passover, Jesus became the sacrificial lamb, his blood covered the wood of his crucifix just as the sacrificial

Receiving the Eucharist is one of the most important things we can do as a catholic. Holy Communion is the most important of all the sacraments. It completes the Sacraments of Initiation. The bread and wine we receive at communion is the body and blood of Jesus. It becomes the bread and body of Jesus through Transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is the conversion of the substance of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ at consecration, only the appearances of bread and wine still remain. We participate in the sacrament of communion to commemorate all that Jesus did for us and getting nailed to a cross so we can be free from sin and have eternal life in heaven.

Two practices important to Christian worship usually take place in churches. These practices are (1) baptism and (2) the Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper. The ceremony of baptism celebrates an individual's entrance into Christianity. The Eucharist represents the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with His disciples. Worshipers share bread and wine in the Eucharist as a sign of their unity with each other and with Jesus.

The Communion Christians have always regarded the Holy Communion as being one very important element towards achieving discipleship since the very beginning. However, the question in every Christian’s mind is “what are we doing?” it is, therefore, important to discuss what the holy communion means about theology. The Holy Communion has several names given to it. Among them are: the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, Divine Liturgy, and the Mass. Inside the New Testament, there are also varying details given there concerning what entails the Holy Communion on accounts given by Christ himself.[1] The Holy Communion does not compare to Baptism which is another sacrament that is non-repeatable. It is repeatable to some certain degrees as it can be done on a daily basis such as those performed by the Catholic Church. In other instances, it can be conducted on a much infrequent celebration such as the ones that happen in Reformed Churches. Referring to Baptism, there are differences in the practice and its significance, and sometimes the understanding of what it means to be baptized. This has gone ahead to become e a hindrance to churches having a common celebration, but at the same time, there is some spiritual benefit that accrues to the people that partake in it. In the same way, the Eucharist possess the same characteristics. Nature of the Union of Christ and Church The Holy Communion is not just a matter of people ingathering in unity. The purpose of having the communion is so

God sacrificed his son, Jesus, for the good of all people and so that they too would depart from the slavery and the submission to sins and wrongdoings, in order to enter into a pure state of forgiveness and freedom. This is the key reason why Christians, of all branches, hold a great importance to Holy Communion, which remembers Christ’s sacrifice to them, which frees them of their sins up till this day. Even though, most, if not all Christian denominations agree about the origins of such a ritual, they now have different opinions about how the service is conducted. The Roman Catholic Church believes in the idea of transubstantiation, which is the belief that the bread and wine that they consume at the Eucharist meal, has over the years, mystically transformed into Jesus’ real body and blood.